Xi Jinping makes rare visit to Tibet as 60 years of Chinese rule celebrated

State media reports Chinese leader’s accomplishment successful Tibet was greeted with radical waving bouquets of flowers and dancing ‘to joyful rhythms’.

China’s President Xi Jinping has made a uncommon sojourn to Tibet to people the 60th day of the consolidation of Chinese regularisation implicit the long-contested Himalayan territory, authorities quality reports.

The state-run Xinhua News Agency said that Xi arrived successful Tibet’s determination capital, Lhasa, connected Wednesday, wherever helium was met by astir 20,000 officials and section radical from “all taste groups and each walks of life”.

In Lhasa, Xi urged the gathering of a “modern socialist” Tibet “that is united, prosperous, civilised, harmonious and beautiful”, Xinhua reported.

State broadcaster CCTV said Xi emphasised the request to “guide Tibetan Buddhism successful adapting itself to socialist society”.

China claims Tibet has been portion of its territory for centuries, but galore Tibetans accidental they were fundamentally autarkic for astir of that clip nether their ain Buddhist theocracy.

On the greeting of Thursday, a expansive rally was held successful Lhasa to observe the 60th day of the founding of the #Xizang Autonomous Region. The solemnisation featured a large-scale parade with 26 marching contingents and floats proceeding successful crook to festive music. The first… pic.twitter.com/qi2yNt09Wv

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) August 21, 2025

Communist forces occupied Tibet successful 1951, and successful 1965, Chinese person Mao Zedong’s single-party dictatorship established the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Decades of governmental repression followed, and successful much caller years, large-scale migration of bulk Han Chinese to the high-altitude portion has occurred.

Tibet is mostly closed to journalists and foreigners.

China besides insists connected the close to name a reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism’s highest-ranking spiritual leader, who precocious turned 90 and lives successful self-imposed exile successful neighbouring India aft fleeing Chinese regularisation successful 1959.

Xi’s accomplishment successful Tibet coincided with different uncommon travel this week by China’s overseas curate Wang Yi to India, wherever some Beijing and New Delhi pledged to rebuild ties damaged by a deadly 2020 borderline clash involving troops from some countries.

Tibet is simply a highly strategical portion for China owed to its borderline with India, though Beijing’s latest mega hydropower task successful the Tibetan plateau has besides unsettled India downstream.

Xi has said the task indispensable beryllium “vigorously” pursued arsenic portion of China’s c simplification goals portion protecting Asia’s “water tower”.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies